November 2012

Message from the President and CEO

Dear Friend,

Earlier this month, in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, we activated our Disaster Relief Program to assist dialysis patients affected by the storm. Our hearts go out to the millions of people who have suffered damage and loss as a result of Sandy. A disaster of this magnitude poses a life-threatening challenge to dialysis patients who must have regular treatment in order to survive, and our fund is providing much-needed help to patients who have been impacted by this storm.

Generous contributions from lead supporters including Amgen, American Renal Associates, Affymax-Takeda and the American Renal Administrators Association have enabled us to activate this program. In addition, Sanofi Renal/Genzyme Corporation is providing in-kind support. We continue to accept financial contributions through our website to assist in the effort.

As we prepare to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday and reflect on all that we are thankful for, our thoughts naturally turn to those who are struggling—and are likely to struggle for some time to come—in this storm’s aftermath. Together, we can make a difference for them.

Diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney disease run in families. November is Family Health History Month, and Thanksgiving gatherings provide a great opportunity to start the conversation about family health history and share information that can help your loved ones prevent kidney disease.

Consumers Digest, in its November issue, named the American Kidney Fund as the number three health charity in the country for spending efficiency. The magazine ranked 221 charities out of 2,400 based on the percentage of generated income that's spent on their mission and not on other costs, such as fundraising, marketing and administration.

Residents of San Antonio, Houston and Atlanta took action for their health at the American Kidney Fund’s October Kidney Action Days. Hundreds of attendees received free kidney health screenings, sampled healthy foods, took part in fitness demos, and walked in the Kidney Action Day Walk to raise funds for the fight to prevent kidney disease. Watch a slideshow of our events.

Meet the three extraordinary and inspirational individuals who were honored at the American Kidney Fund’s annual gala, The Hope Affair, last month: Hero of Hope Eric Dolby, Sr., Caregiver of the Year Debbie Nutt, and our Calendar Kids Cover Artist, Amelia Rowniewski, whose artwork gave our event its theme: “All Things are Possible.” We gratefully acknowledge the support of our sponsors for The Hope Affair: Platinum Sponsor American Renal Associates; and Diamond Sponsors Affymax, Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceuticals, U.S.A., Inc.; Amgen; and Sanofi Renal.

Upcoming Kidney Health Screenings

We are nearing the end of our 2012 health screening season, and our teams are busily laying the groundwork for our Screenings & Education programs in 2013.